A 35-year-old patient, who had been placed in seclusion at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital’s female psychiatric unit, died when a fire broke out in the room last week, the Gauteng Department of Health has confirmed.
Spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the woman was admitted to hospital last Thursday, and placed “in a seclusion room (on Monday), as part of her prescribed treatment”.
The “small fire” started at about 6.35pm, and was quickly contained and extinguished by the fire brigade, said Modiba. “But unfortunately the patient in the seclusion room sustained fatal injuries.”
IOL reports that 17 other patients in the unit were evacuated and temporarily relocated to a different wing of the psychiatric department as a precautionary measure.
The cause of the fire is unknown, and police are investigating.
“Both the bereaved family and the families of the 17 patients will be taken through a debriefing, and counselling services will also be made available to them,” Modiba said.
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